Draft



J. AVELINE.

DRAFT APPLIANCE. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 29. I920.

Patented May 17, 1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

awwwboz ifofirzAveline UNITED STATES u...( I a.

JOHN AVELINE, OF SCBAN'ION, PENNSYLVANIA.

DRAFT APPLIANCE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 1'7, 1921.

Application filed January 29, 1920. Serial No. 354,809.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that 1, JOHN Avnmnn, a citizen of the United States,residing at Scranton, in the county of Lackawanna and State ofPennsylvania, have invented cer tain new and useful Improvements inDraft Appliances; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full,clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to theletters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part ofthis specification.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in draftappliances and has for its object to provide a spring draft gearespecially adapted for railway cars and other vehicles and which, inaddition to serving as a resilient means, will act as a brake to retardthe movements of the resilient cushioning means when contracted, due toimpact with an obstacle, or from a sudden pull of a propelling means.

The invention comprises an apparatus which, due to its resilient andbraking features, will prevent destructive wear upon the various partsof a vehicle which are usually subjected to continuous vibration of theresilient gearing after the same has been contracted.

My invention is illustrated in the accompany drawings which, with thenumerals of reference marked thereon, form a part of this application,and in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved draft appliance.

Fig. 2 is a central longitudinal sectional view through the device.

Fig. 3 is an end View of the arrangement of the springs. Fig. 4: is adetail end view of the intermediate spring showing the corrugatedportions thereof.

Fig. 5 is an end view of the outer coiled spring.

1 Fig. 6 is an end view of the inner coiled spring, and p Fig. 7 is across sectional view through the series of springs.

Reference now being had to the details of-the drawings by numerals:

l designates the usual form of draft bar, provided with the ordinarydraft strap or yoke 2, extending around the follower plates 3 and 4,which are positioned between the draw-bar draft lugs or stops 5 and 6which are bolted, or otherwise secured, to the sills 7 of the car frame.

Positioned between the lugs 3 and 4" upon the followers 3 and 4 is ahelical spring 8 having an outer, cross-sectionally, wedgeshaped face910, formed upon the convolutions thereof. 11 designates a second coiledspring, the convolutions of which are bent sinuously or undulately, asshown in Figs. 3 and 4 of the drawings, forming substantially acorrugated member.

The second spring 11 is also provided with cross-sectionallywedge-shaped inner and outer faces l3-14 and 18-19 respectively, saidface 13-14 being seated between the convolutions of the spring 8, andengaging at intervals the wedge-shaped face 9--10 thereof, as shown inFig. 3 of the drawings.

A third or outer coiled spring 15 has a cross-sectionally wedge-shapedinner face 16-17. The beveled outer face 1819 of the spring 11 seats atintervals against the wedge-shaped inner face 16-17 of the spring 15.

It will be understood that the springs 3, 11 and 15 are continuous andnot in sections. The advantages of continuous springs are that thevarious stresses are uniformly absorbed, and a saving in time inassembling is effected.

In operation, compression of the outward and inward projecting portionsof the undulatory spring 11 will result in a tendency of said spring tocreep, so as to cause said spring to approximate the length of the innerand outer springs, and said spring 11 is therefore made of shorterlength than, or less than the normal length of the other two springs toallow for this creeping. The inner and outer springs function, to permitthe device to initially exert spring resistance, only, by which minorstrains, incident to ordinary train operation, may be opposed, and theresultants transmitted to the car frame without materially involving theexertion of frictional resistance. The construction of the springs so asto set up frictional resistance, in operation, is important, as therebyshocks and strains of greater force than said minor strains arecounteracted by the binding of the wavelike spring 11 with the inner andouter springs 8 and 15 respectively.

In assembling the parts, the spring 8 is turned into engagement with thesecond spring 11, and the third or outer spring 15 turned intoengagement with the second spring 11, until the ends are approximatelyflush with the ends of the inner spring 8, said spring 11 being slightlyshorter than the others. The inner spring 8 and the outer spring 15 areso mounted and propertioned that. the intermediate spring 11,formed'sinuate, bears at the outer curves of itssinuations against theinner inclined surfaces of the outer spring 15 and at the inner curvesof its sinuations against the outer inclined surfaces of the innerspring 8. This structure is then'placed in position between thefollowers 3 and 4:, when the device is ready for operation. When thefront follower is moved rearwardly under buffer stress, the springs 8and 15 will be eompressed between the followers, the rear follower atthis time being stationary, by reason of its engagement with the fixedstops 6, 6 upon the car center sills 7, 7. The

buffing stresses of the draft bar 1 are thus in absorbed by thefrictional engagement of the respective beveled portions or wedge facesof the springs 8, 11 and 15, and further by the transverse movements ofthe bent or'distorted portions 12 of the spring 11, it being understoodthat the stresses are absorbed forwardly, a well as rearwardly.

The wave-like contour of the spring 11, as

' shown at 12 in Fig. 3 of the drawings, offers a distinct advantage inthe wearing qualities of the outer springs 15. It will be understoodthat the repeated compressions of the inner and outer springs will intime wear the beveled surfaces of the spring 11. By the provision of thewave-like portions 12, considerable wear of the adj acent-beveledportions of the spring 11 may follow before the said springs 8, 11 and15 are worn to such an extent that replacement will become necessary.

Furthermore, compression of the springs 8 and 15 and the subsequentabsorption of the buffing and draft stresses through the medium of thefrictional engagement of the respective beveled surfaces of the springswill cause an expansion of the spring 11, so that the extended portions12 thereof will bind against the adjacent beveled portlons of the outerand inner springs 15 and 8 respectively, and further assist in absorbingthe stresses above referred to (in a wave motion). 7

From the foregoing it will be noted that the device is particularlyadapted for use in connection with railway cars, wherein it is desirablethat means be provided for taking care of various strains, to which thedraft gearing is subjected; and that the device will prevent thecontinued vibration of the spring cushioning. means, when the same hasbeen once contracted, by reason of the braking or retarding actionafforded by the wavelike portions 12.

ll hile I have shown a particular mechanical construction of deviceembodying the features of my invention, it will be understood that I mayvary the details of arrangement of parts and the construction without inany way departing from the spirit of the invention.

What I claim to be new is:

1. A draft rig comprising in combination spaced followers and a yokeembracing the same, inner and outer helical springs under tensionbetween the followers and having the proximate surfaces of theircorresponding convolutions oppositely beveled, and an intermediatesinuate spring helicoidally wound, shorter than the inner and outersprings and stopping short of engagement with the followers and havingthe inner and outer surfaces of its convolutions oppositely beveled,complementarily to the evels of the inner and outer springs.

2. A draft rig comprising in combination spaced followers and a yokeembracing the same, inner and outer helical springs under tensionbetween the followers and having the proximate surfaces of theircorresponding convolutions oppositely beveled, and an intermediate,helicoidally wound spring, sinuate within the planes of itsconvolutions, shorter than the inner and outer springs, and stoppingshort of engagement with the followers, and having the inner and outersurfaces of its convolutions oppositely beveled complementarily to thebevels of the inner and outer springs.

8. A draft rig comprising in combination spaced followers and a yokeembracing the same, inner and outer helical springs under tensionbetween the followers and having the proximate surfaces of theircorresponding convolutions oppositely beveled, and an intermediatesinuate spring helicoidally wound, and having the inner and outersurfaces of its convolutions oppositely beveled complementarily to thebevels of the inner and outer springs.

4. A. draft rig comprising in combination spaced followers and a yokeembracing the same, inner and outer helical springs under tensionbetween the followers and having the proximate surfaces of theircorresponding convolutions oppositely beveled, and an intermediatehelicoidally wound spring sinuate within the planes of its ownconvolutions, and having the inner and outer surfaces of its sinuationsoppositely beveled complementarily to the bevels of the inner and outersprings.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature.

JOHN AVELINE.

